25 Perfect Beauty Gifts for Your Most Discerning Friends

Forget wrapping up the same old bottle of bubble bath, here are some gorgeous beauty gift ideas for everyone – right from that artistic sister who loves everything off-beat to that lucky friend who has everything! And if you want to keep something for yourself, we promise not to tell 😉

Origins Ornament

This super-cute festive bauble is filled with 5 travel sized versions of Origin’s classic beauty products, including the Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask and the Modern Friction Exfoliator. All this, and a new decoration for your tree as well! $14

The Handmade Soap Company’s A Box of Sensual Delights

Once you manage to move past the uber-gorgeous vintage-inspired packaging of A Box of Sensual Delights, you will realise that form equates function in this delectable collection of grapefruit hand cream, grapefruit shower gel, grapefruit soap and Au Natural lip balm. A bonus: all products are handmade in Ireland, using natural ingredients. $30

Kiehl’s Kenny Scharf Creme de Corps

Kiehl’s is known for its limited edition artist pairings and this holiday season sees Kenny Scharf bringing his cartoon and pop-ed aesthetic to their signature Crème de Corps. Need another reason to go for this softly scented soy milk and honey body cream? 100% of the net profits from Scharf’s collection will be donated to children’s charities. $38

MAC Fabulousnesss Holiday Eye Kit

This one is for the glam lady in waiting… a quilted beauty palette made from tufted satin, which is as pretty on the outside as the neutral eyeshadow shades are on the inside. $68

Best of L’Occitane Collection

This limited edition holiday set gives you a little bit of everything – with hand cream, shower oil, bubble bath and more, it’s like a spa day in a box! $78

Creme de la Mer Lip Balm

Yes, paying $50 for a lip balm is kind of insane. But this is Creme De La Mer: indulgent luxury at its best. And it’s all kinds of amazing. Plus, receiving it as a gift lets you love it guilt free. (Are you reading this, Mr. TBG?) $50

Diptyque Amber Oud

For the girl who has everything (including every other Diptyque Candle), Amber Oud is the perfect standout. The candle’s essence is inspired by the Arabian Nights and resembles a precious stone where rare spices infused with warming resins and balsams plunge the user into an Oriental dream world. $32 upwards

Strange Beautiful 3 Dose Colour Pills

A ‘dose’ of genius, this quirky concept is truly unique! Three small but densely pigmented polishes in a super-cute pharmaceutical style jar… the perfect remedy for nail ennui. $20 per jar

Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy

Hand Therapy balms are one of the most popular Crabtree & Evelyn beauty products and this year the brand has come up with super-indulgent Hand Therapy Sampler Sets that contain 4, 6, 8 or 12 tubes each. $28 upwards

Clé de Peau Beauté Palette de Voyage

Fresh Sugar Soiree Mini Lip Collection

In my experience there is not a soul who doesn’t fall head-in-heels for Fresh’s cult classic balms at first sight! And now you can spread the cheer even further with all 8 variations packed in a festive beauty box for a gift that won’t be tossed in the bottom of the bag. $65

Yves Saint Laurent Holiday Set

Know someone who adores everything luxe? The Yves Saint Laurent Holiday Set contains some of the brand’s best beauty items, like the Touche Éclat °2, Golden Gloss N°10, mini Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in black and a mini waterproof eye liner in black. And it all comes in a sleek makeup bag that bears those coveted initials. $65

Kate Spade Lip Crayons

This is for the adult who would rather not grow up anytime soon: a crayon-inspired box of chubby lip stubs, created by Kate Spade in collaboration with Lipstick Queen’s Poppy King. The vibrant lipsticks are matte, smooth and hydrating, with a superior colour payoff! $38

Gucci Premiere Gift Set

A single thought: If it’s good enough for Blake Lively, it’s good enough for us. $107

Gianna Rose Monogram Collection

These luxe hand soaps are triple milled and smell amazingly fresh with a green tea and bergamot blend (reminiscent of Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea fragrance). Plus, they come in all popular letters of the alphabet, so it’s like giving the gift of a personal monogram. Decadent beauty at its best! $11 upwards

Chloe Bianca Solid Perfume Necklace

Chloe’s newest fragrance gets the solid perfume treatment with an opulent locket that makes it travel and accessory-friendly. But get yours quickly: it’s in such high demand that several retailers have imposed a quota on the number of units you can order. $65

Rodin Olio Travel-Size Kit

Perfect for both: the Rodin Olio obsessives who won’t abandon their oil bottles for anything, even when they travel; and the newbie who wants to dip a foot in the luxe universe before shelling out the hefty cash for the full size glass bottles. This travel-size kit contains the signature line, with deluxe sizes of the brand’s hair, face, body oil, cream and perfume.

Deborah Lippmann’s Three Times a Lady

These sparkly bottles contain the perfect proportion of glitter to clear polish, so you never reach the bottom with nary a sparkle in sight. Besides, they come with the perfect wide-tipped brush so that glitter never gets stuck between the bristles. What more could one want? $34 for set of 3

Stila Snow Angel Palette

Burberry Lip Charm

One product, dual uses. Dress up both your handbag and your lips with this dramatic Burberry-checked cube that swings from a metallic faux-leather tassel and houses a pretty pink lip gloss. $85

Benefit Sexy Little Stowaways

This too-cute kit has everything a jet-setter needs to prime, perfect and perk up whether on a vacation or the dance floor. $34

Ciate Caviar Mini Bar

This has been the year of nail art and nothing is more decadent than caviar nails. Now you can gift eight of Ciaté’s prettiest formulas – four paint pots and four types of pearls plus a little funnel – to your mani-loving friend. $47

Soap & Glory Best Things in Life Are Three Set

If her shower is her sanctuary, she’ll appreciate this greatest hits kit (shower gel, body butter and hand cream) from the beauty line known for its natural formulations and witty product names. $25

Eve Lom Daily Collection

This is not only one of the best cleansers on the market but also the most old school. It comes with instructions for a 6-step lymphatic drainage facial massage and a strict breathing protocol. Another cleanser smells of cloves and includes a muslin cloth as an anchor-point. Rushed for time (or just feeling lazy)? The Morning Time Cleanser is (relatively) quick, taking just 5 minutes to use and rinse off. Sound a little much? For sure – but every wash is like a thorough, therapeutic facial for your skin that cleans out every single pore. Perfect for skin-obsessed friends who can’t go to sleep without their nighttime beauty rituals. $85

So there you have it! Does anything on the list tickle your fancy, or have you found any other great quirky buys you’ve got your eye on? Do tell!